Melia Cayo Coco: Definitely a place to return to

Wonderful resort. Good service and clean surroundings. Even after the damage done in the hurricane last November the resort had been returned to a beautiful location. Beach was clean and there were plenty of lounges so it wasn’t hard to get a chair every day. A la carte restaurants were good and staff throughout the resort were helpful and friendly.

Grand Muthu Cayo Guillermo: Beautiful new resort

The Grand Muthu resort was beautiful and new. Bathrooms and rooms very nice. Entertainment was good. Still working on the entertainment building which will be finished soon. Staff were very attentive and very helpful, although many of them could not understand English. Pools were lovely, would be nice to have more umbrellas for shade. Beach was nice but not directly in front of the resort, more to the side. An improvement could be made with the food. A lot of Cuban dishes which many wer [... read more]e not too fussy about. While the food was plentiful, the beef was very tough and the chicken chewy. Breakfasts were good with many choices. Specialty restaurants were not too impressive. One restaurant, the International, had only one choice for appetizer and main course. All in all, would go back again.

Grand Muthu Cayo Guillermo: More than expected

Great vacation spot. You can snorkel at the beach by the pier 15 min walk. Interesting games are played at the pool thru the day. Bring maple syrup and butter for crepes and bread. Butter because it's not salted and has a different taste than at home. We would return in a heart beat.

Hotel Mojito: Great week at Iberostar Mojito

The week that we spent at Iberostar Mojito was overall a great experience. The resort atmosphere was laid back and relaxing. There were minimal lines for drinks or food. Food: The food at the buffet was good overall - the omelette and bacon stations were always popular. This is the first resort that I have been to that didn't have labels on the food at the buffet and the bread sat out uncovered, which left it quite dry. The snack bar's food was good- the chicken and pizzas especially. There w [... read more]ere no menus on the table or at the snack bar, so you never knew what was available unless you asked. It took us 4 days to realize they offered chicken. The international a la carte was excellent, the Cuban was good. Cuban day (Tuesday) was Great, with many choices of meats and sides. The churros were great with the cinnamon and sugar! Rooms: The room was clean, beds were comfortable and pillows were fluffy. The water pressure was excellent and consistently hot. The maid was very friendly, but the daily room cleaning was light, at best. Beach: The beach was beautiful with a beach bar and snack bar. There were always chairs and shade available. Staff: The staff was friendly and accommodating. Overall Experience: The area was beautiful and so were the people. We arrived at the resort at 12:40 am due to a delayed flight and were surprised that we were left to find our building and room by ourselves, in the dark. There has been lots of work done to repair the resort following the hurricane damage and that was evident. The nightly shows were entertaining. There were days and nights were there were toilet paper shortages in the bathrooms, but this isn't a new issue for most resorts.

Melia Jardines del Rey: Beautiful Beach! Decent everything else

This resort is overall, good. We did not find it spectacular, but everything was good. Arrival was smooth. The resort is about 15 minutes from the airport. At check-in there is a meeting to explain some things and you are given your room key and towel card. They do not always have pool towels, so bringing your own just in case is a good idea. They have the golf carts to take you to your room. Our room was in block 9 on the third floor. It was a good location. The room was clean and the fridg [... read more]e was stocked daily. Our fridge was leaking the first day, but it was fixed shortly after we reported it. The resort itself is well kept. Certain areas seem to get more attention than others. It was not as huge as I was expecting, but the ground can be pretty uneven in spots and there is a decent amount of walking. They have carts that go around often if you need a lift. Just beside the resort is a little craft market that was fun to check out. There's bowling, disco, and a restaurant there too. The beach is spectacular! Definite highlight. It was gorgeous and usually calm. Nice for a swim. If you do not go early, all the chairs will be taken but if you try again after lunch some free up. There's a bar and a restaurant on the beach. The lunch buffet is good, we liked it more than the main buffet for lunch. We went down for a long walk along the beach the one day and it was really cool to see the more natural part of the beach. We saw fish, coral, sand dollars, crabs, and sea stars. There was also massive sand dunes! It gets rocky, but definitely cool to explore. The pools were also very nice. We went to both the activity and the quiet pool. The quiet pool has pizza that was very yummy and the activity pool has a swim up bar. We never had a problem finding chairs at the pool and the area was always clean and the water was a comfortable temperature. The food was okay. It's Cuba. They do what they can with what they have. The omelet station was good in the morning and they will make eggs your way there. The lines for lunch and dinner could get quite long for the pasta and meat, but the pasta was worth it. They had a variety of vegetables and fruits- we didn't go hungry. We went to 3 a la carts. Stay away from Bana, but the bistro and beach restaurant were both very good. The Bistro was definitely the best. There's also an ice-cream place that was good. The service was a bit sub-par at this resort. It was difficult to get coffee and juice at breakfast and water/ drinks for dinner at the buffet. The bar tenders rotated, so it was tricky to find the one you liked. Several times we went to the lobby bar and were ignored for several minutes. The snack bars took quite a while for someone to take your order some days. The other bars were more attentive. It just seemed that overall they weren't as friendly as I have experienced at other resorts. There wasn't the smiles and hellos- obviously there were some exceptions to this as some staff were very friendly and attentive, but on the whole, the service just wasn't there. The entertainment was also lacking. There was a show every night, but they were repetitive and not the level we were expecting. Not huge deals, just something we noticed. Overall, would we return? Maybe.

Hotel Mojito: Great People, Good Food, Nice Atmosphere

We had a great time at the Iberostar Mojito, and I realized upon returning home that I had actually stayed at the resort 14 years ago when it was called "El Senador"! It was lovely weather, just a bit windy some days and we did lots of fun activities. We had a small frog infestation during the last few days which was horrifying. I trapped one in the drain and the other in the garbage can to bring outside. Nightmare!! Then I was able to seal the door with plastic so they couldn’t get in, I thi [... read more]nk the caretakers were able to remove the one from the drain. We did a full day trip and some nights out! Cave night, Lenny's (where our cab driver abandoned us for 2 hours... #fail!) and and the Jeep-ON tour. For this tour we got picked up in jeeps (you can drive if you know standard) went to a dock where we picked up our own speed boats, drove to a specific area to snorkel, then took the jeeps to the city of Morón. Walked around for a bit, then went to lunch at a sugarcane farm. From there we went back in the jeeps up a “mountain” to get cool views of the area. And finished with a crocodile farm!!! Then back for dinner. It was awesome. Our Air Canada rep Yelenis was so lovely. Literally everything there was late, no busses arrived "on time" but everyone was friendly. I really enjoyed the lobby bar at the resort, it was clean. They really didn't have enough soap in the ladies communal bathrooms though, that was gross. Make sure to bring hand sanitizer everywhere. The shows were really fun and well-done. Food selection was better than expected and chefs were kind. Juice sucks, stick to bottled water or beer ;) Beach was stunning, and pool was good. Not very busy overall, but resort could have more engaging activities and games throughout the day.

Memories Caribe Beach Resort: Terrific Resort &Great Value

The resort is making great progress after the hurricane in 2017. The grounds are constantly being maintained and being rejuvenated. We noticed that our room has been upgraded somewhat and that we understand renovations are ongoing. The service was 5+ star, and it may have been due to diamond club, but we were very pleased. We received great service daily on the diamond club beach area, at the bar, and served on the beach, also the snack bars on the beach gave great service. The beach was impecc [... read more]able and cleaned daily. We always received service for loungers on the beach daily. Only one day did the staff run out of loungers, but retrieved some more for our use. The piano bar wait staff were friendly, polite, and very eager to serve, even our large night time group gatherings. Again 5+star service. We also enjoyed our a la carte restaurant servers, Asian, Mediterranean, and Beach restaurant was a nice touch. We especially enjoyed the daily option of a la carte breakfast at the Mediterranean restaurant for diamond club. The service was warm, friendly, and food was served fresh and hot. The buffet was ok, but lacked the hot cases being hot temperatures, as many hot food choices were Luke warm to cold. The selection was great if you were willing to wait for custom food prep such as eggs in morning, or pasta bar in evenings. These were always fresh and tasty. Our room was comfortable and what we expected. We did request balcony, but we were on ground floor, but we had a nice view of the gardens and seemed private. We did get our request for king size bed,but not as close to the beach as what we would have hoped. However, this resort was smaller and made it easy to get around. We enjoyed the smaller resort as we felt like the staff remembered us each time we were served, at bars or restaurants which increase our levels of service. Overall We would consider coming back to this resort and we highly recommend it.

Memories Flamenco Beach Resort: Feels like home

The hotel was very nice. The rooms were clean. The food was varied and excellent. I would recommend for all age groups . The staff goes above and beyond for everyone. Surprising to see the resort as pretty as last year after the hurricane.

Melia Jardines del Rey: trip from March 14, to Mwrch 21

Positive: amazing beach, nice new rooms, cleaned daily, daily shows and performaces were good and entertaining Negative: food needs to have more variety, people on the beach were hogging beach beds, leaving their staff overnight and showing up at noon time to the beach. unpleasant surprise one morning, beach towels were stolen from the balcony, almost 21 Canadian dollars to pay for stolen used towel, its just too much

Melia Jardines del Rey: Good Time!

I travelled to Cayo Coco, Cuba with my 2 teenage daughters during the March break. We stayed at the Melia Jardines del Rey. Though the weather was not extremely hot, it was comfortable. Of course this has nothing to do with the hotel. That's pretty much the biggest negative. The evenings were quite chilly. The hotel itself is beautiful. The room was spacious, clean, no bugs (all throughout the resort). The pools were great. The beach was absolutely gorgeous. We were able to walk and walk and wa [... read more]lk. We picked up lots of different looking shells. We were able to find a spot on the beach with no issues. The staff, very friendly and helpful. The entertainment was wonderful. Mind you one part of one of the shows I found to be inappropriate for children. The food...the Italian restaurant, quite good. I recommend their minestrone soup. The buffet...if you're a picky eater, you're in trouble. Go for the foods that are prepared in front of you, chicken, beef and pork. The pastas and the eggs. Be there for when the buffet opens or close enough to that time, the line ups are long. These foods are good though. The little "market" is nice. You can buy souvenirs. All in all, we enjoyed our time. I would go back with my husband next time.

Melia Jardines del Rey: Beautiful beach. Wonderful weather

Visited the Melia Jardines del Rey from March 2-9/18. The resort is very large (1176 rooms). Arrival went smoothly and we were in our rooms, unpacked and pool side by 11:30am. We stayed in Bungalow 10 room 117. Lovely, clean room with plenty of space. Toilet flushing wasn't top notch but never had any issue with hot water in the shower. Had to remind/request for water and beer as they were not always stocked on a daily basis.It was a 7 minute walk to Lobby/Buffet and about 6 minutes to the  [... read more]beach. The activity pool was located directly behind our bungalow. Food wasn't exceptional but we didn't starve. Buffet was repetitive and food was tepid at best but Diane was always near by for a coffee and water refill. We dined at the Mediterranean, TexMex and Cuban a la cartes. (Josi in the reservation dept was very charming and helpful.) Med and Cuban were very nice. TexMex was ok. The lobby bar includes a coffee section which was always busy but service was excellent as was the service throughout the Lobby. Special shout out to Nauris who always made sure we were taken care of promptly and with a warm and friendly smile. We really enjoyed the entertainment throughout the resort. The idea of moving it to different areas was unique. The beach is amazing but get there early for shaded loungers (6am guarantees a wide selection). Animation team conducts yoga, zumba and beach volleyball. There is a section of coral along the shore (about 3 ft wide) that can chew up your feet so water shoes are a good idea. Overall, the resort is decent by Cuban standards. All bars tend to run out of beer/liquor at various times of the day but in fairness, there were probably over 2000 guests that week. We have nothing but positive remarks regarding the staff. From the gardeners and bike taxi drivers to the bartenders and wait staff. All are professional and friendly.

Melia Jardines del Rey: 10/10 Vacation

Myself, my wife and daughter along with 5 close friends had the most amazing vacation from start to finish. The resort was very nice and they've done amazing job rebuilding after the hurricane last fall. Weather was incredible as was the beach. The staff was very helpful and always friendly. I'd like to take this opportunity to recognize 3 staff members that stood out above the rest. Gretchen at the Mediterranean restaurant was incredible, very gracious and attended to us like we were family. [... read more] Two of the beach staff who really made our week were Yandy Jimenez and Olexis Mompie (Chocolate!). The first day we went to beach we met our two amigos! They were so talented, friendly and funny. They made everyone on the volleyball court feel like a champ even when, from time to time, we weren't. Great athletes and great dancers!! They always had a smile on their faces and called our names out wherever we ran into them anywhere on the resort. And man did we appreciate the long hours they put in doing so many different jobs for the resort. They are great ambassadors for the resort and Cuba. Those 3 amazing employees are the reason we'll be back to beautiful Cuba!! Mucho gracias amigos!!! Jeff Bird aka Papi Chulo!!

Hotel Mojito: Excellent value

So we were skeptical. A 3.5* in Cuba is not a 3.5* elsewhere, but it was great value, left on the date I needed and was only 15 minutes from the airport. having been to Cayo Santa maria three years ago, I said I wouldn't return and here I am in Cuba once again. Boarding out of London was fantastic, we left 30 minutes early! Customs was relatively quick and we departed for the resort within 10 minutes of hitting the bus. Drive took about 25 minutes because of two stops, but still a breeze (i [... read more]f you've sat on the bus from Cancun to Bahia Principe...90 minutes later you're begging for a pee break!). Arrived at resort, check in was painless. You're able to exchange funds at the front counter at any time so that was a big plus. The lobby is very nice, not opulent but quite nice. And wifi can be purchased for a buck an hour in the lobby which is a deal. So this area was hit hard by the hurricane last fall, and it's evident but this resort has spent a lot fo time and money recovering the main parts. Probably half the resort is still not recognizable (including three alacarte restaurants, theatre, cigar lounge and kids play area BUT they've done a great job. The rooms are dated, but clean. Toilet paper is sparse (a roll a day) and one day we had no towels but not a deal breaker). Break a currency converter as some of the rooms don't have 220. A couple of the crew lent us their own (the people are amazing here). So the food. I won't brag that it's the Mayan, cuz it's not but there was a fresh grilling station ever day with tilapia, sea bass, chicken, beef and pork (all grilled in front of you) and the omelet station for breakfast was excellent. The people are wonderful and truly appreciate it when tipped (just $1 CUC will suffice)...and they remember you. The lobby bar staff (Freddy, Carbo, Alain and Lixander) were excellent. Never expected a tip but so appreciated it. The grill guy always had our fish on when he saw us come in ans the omelet guy was so appreciative. The beach is the best I've been too. Lots of loungers, beach bar and grill (um I think the hamburgers sucked but the ham and cheese was good), lots of space and lots of white sand. No water shoes needed! The adult pool is very boring. No bar and no washroom. The other pool is good but we're more beach people when there's a good beach. We did not like the alacarte but honestly we're used to the Mayan alacartes which are awesome, so I'll give them a mulligan there. The gym is decent too, however didn't open on time always (the staff come in on a bus from two hours away so if it's delayed, the gym is not open). All in all, a great break for under $1000. Would I pay more, um not much more but well worth what we paid. Really good value. And yes, i would go back.

Hotel Mojito: Nice Resort

My husband and I arrived at the hotel pretty late as our flight was delayed a few hours due to a storm in Halifax, NS so we got there in the dark close to midnight. Upon arrival, the music was very loud in the lobby area where you check in, so that was a little bit of an annoyance as it makes it hard to communicate with the staff upon check in. I believe that their disco was shut down due to the hurricane in September, so they had to have music somewhere although that was not the best place. The [... read more]y could have had it by the stage area. We had trouble with our room key (card) for the first two days although it was a quick fix. We didn't have to wait around too long for the problem to be solved. The grounds seemed very clean and there were staff working on them daily. The pool areas seemed to be kept clean also. There is a smaller adult pool if you want more privacy and quiet time. Here is the place to lay back and relax and read a book without any visual distractions or much noise, so that was nice. Parts of the resort are still shut down. If you look up the resort map, you will see little tiny like cottages that are built on top of the water right before the beach area. None of these were open, and they only had the one small restaurant (a la carte) that was open that you could make reservations for. They used the one restaurant nightly and switched up the choices for cuisine. It seemed to work as the resort was not overly crowded anyway. The buffet was surprisingly satisfying. Some nights of course were better than others, but I think that is pretty common anyway. No issues with the food itself. There were a lot of families here at this resort. Lots of kids which was nice to see. The public washrooms are well, public washrooms. We all know the resorts run out of toilet paper and soap a lot of the time, and often, the stalls seem to shut down so you are sometimes in a line up for a toilet although that has been a common problem at other resorts I have been to. It's a good idea to take your own roll of toilet paper and hand sanitizer. The beach is breathtaking. The water is beautiful and crystal clear on calm days. Very nice stretch of beach to walk or run. Although there are always some little common problems with the resorts, considering the amount of damage that was done and how good the grounds look etc. I thought overall this resort was clean and friendly and I would go back and take my family to this resort again. It is only about 15 minutes from the airport, so a short bus ride to the resort is awesome. We did the Cigar, Sugar, and Rum excursion. We bused it across the causeway which is about 27km long to the city of Moron. We had some free time there and included in this excursion is a horse and carriage ride around the downtown, a trip to the sugar mill to see how they juice the sugarcane and you get to taste it, a train ride, an outside buffet, a trip to the alligator farm, and a boat ride through the mangroves and free bottle of rum and a cigar at the end of the trip. It is a full day, so take lots of extra water, snacks, toilet paper, and hand sanitizer. The lobby area is very pretty and a great place to sit during the day for drinks or conversation. At night it gets loud, but that is probably as I said before, because of the disco being shut down. We didn't have any major issues here. We can't wait to go back next year. Whether it is at the same location or not, we would love to go back to Cayo Coco. We had a great time. Krista and Derek from Halifax, NS

Melia Costa Rey: Excellent resort and amazing beach!

Rooms were very clean and comfortable. The staff was very friendly and helpful. Most of the meals at A La Carte restaurants were very tasty. The beach was one of the best with nice white sand. There were plenty of lounge chairs on the beach for everyone!

Grand Muthu Cayo Guillermo: Week 3 at Grand Muthu Cayo Guillermo

It's beautiful, I was there the third week after they opened. It was discounted because it was brand new and the staff are learning. Tourists have to be a bit patient as they sometimes don't open the buffet until the staff feel everything is ready which may be full half hour after it is posted on the door. ie . if you have an 8 am tour bus , grab something the night before like a bun and cheese and refrigerate it in the bar frig.

Iberostar Origin Playa Pilar: Amazing resort. A must to visit

Variety of food. Al-a-carts are excellent, especially the Asian restaurant. Pools are refreshing with the pool bar. The ocean is amazing. The blues in the ocean are breathtaking. Great boardwalk by the beach. All staff goes out of their way to welcome and wait on you. They are very friendly and knowledgeable. Some of the bartenders go the extra mile to make your special drinks. The rooms are clean. The grounds are well kept. The music in the lobby at night is great. There was always clean t [... read more]owels. Our second time there and will return again.

Sol Cayo Coco: !Amazing resort

Clean grounds, nice pool, great beaches, clean rooms, great service, great people. Food is very adequate. Close to airport, only 10 min. Could use dressers in rooms. Tables & chairs in Lobby for smoking area.

Hotel Playa Paraiso: Great Beach!

The beach was amazing! The food was Ok and very typical of Cuban food. The sports entertainment team was really good, volleyball every day at the beach. Stuff for the kids around the pool. The beach had peddle boats (4 seaters) that were very good and easy to book for 1hr per day. The rooms were good and the buildings were nice. They need some repairs, broken stair tiles...walkways were dark in some areas at night. Most of this was damaged by Irma. The gardeners were working h [... read more]ard planting new flowers/plants around the resort. Internet worked fine...1hr for 1CUC. The hotel is smaller than the some others...500 rooms or so. 11 buildings, everything was close to the pool and beach!

Iberostar Origin Playa Pilar: A Great Resort with an Amazing Staff !!

We have visited this resort twice and have loved it both times. The grounds are beautiful and the boardwalk over the coral beach is a great place to sit and enjoy the ocean view. We found the food at the buffet very good both times with lots of variety. Plenty of grill stations to sample and not much of a lineup up at any time. The wonderful staff is the main reason we returned here, they are beyond friendly and work hard to ensure you have a great experience at IPP. We would not hesitate to rec [... read more]ommend this resort to anyone. We would also like to thank Lisa Selig of tripcentral for yet another seamless vacation transaction. Thanks Lisa, cheers until next time.